Means for designing and laying out plans for buildings



Apl 28, 1959 D. w, STEPHENs MBANS FoR DSGNNG AND LAYNG oUT PLANs FOR BULDNGS F11ed. Decl 12. 1955 5 SheetSsheet 1 ATTURNEY A rH 28, 1959 D. w. sTEFHENs z,883,764

MEANS FOR DSGNNG AND LAYING OUT PLANS FO BULDNGS F1ed Dec. 12. 1955 3 SheetsSheet 3 A-TDRN Y MEANS EoR DESIGNING AND LAYnTG oUT fLANS FoR BUILDINGS Doog1as W. Sfe lhens, Ca1gary, A1beffa, Canada AppHcaon Decembef 12, 1955, sefia1 No. 55Z,645

3 C1aims. (CL 3515) My invention felates in genefa1 to the desfgn of buildfngs and partiCulafly fo apparats vVhefeby the plan of a pfoposed buf1ding fnay be 1aid ollt iI1'three din1ensional fofn1 so that the pfospective ownef of buildef Inay visuaHze Inore feadily the felative Size and placenent of the various fooIns vvithin the propoSed Stfuctufe.

when a new bLlilding iS designed it iS coInInon fof the plans to be nade Up by an afchftect of by a dfaftSInan- These planS are generally vve11 UnderStood by the afchi teCt and the draftsnlan but it has been foUnd that the avefage pfospective hoIne ovvnef eXpefiences considefable difficUlty in visllalizing from the planS the conlpleted building.

It iS therefofe an obiect of ITly invention to provide Ineans whereby the oor plan on a pfoposed bui1ding may be la.id out in miniatufe and ffom which the pfospec tive ownef fnay be able to viSualiZe in1fnediately the fe1a tive size and placenent of the vafious fooInS and of the openfngS ffofn the various TooIns.

Zn additional object is to provide Ineans foT deSigning and laying out the f1ooT p1anS of buildingS of Such na fI1fe that the coInp1eted Ininiatufe deSign Inay be tfanS orted b t11e roS ective home owner to hiS resent dWening, office of the like for fuftheT leiSnfe1y Study.

A fufther obieCt iS to provide IneanS for designing and laying ont planS of bllildingS in TI1iniatufe uSing Teadily obtainable 1ow coSf lnateTia1s that may be a1tered 'in Size and shape quickly and easi1y fo aHovv a large nuInbef of InodelS to be conStfucted withont InateTial1y incTeasing the cost of the nna1 InodeL In the light of the above and other obiectS, Sofne of which Wi11 be appafent to those Skilled in the aft and ()thers wiH be apparent in the ConStruction and use of thiS device, Iny invention co ITlpriseS the co-Inbination, aT Tangen1ent and conStrLlction of the pafts of Which Iny device is coInpoSed and by IneanS of vv11ich I attain the above descfibed obiectS aS Set fofth in greater detail in the foHowing disclosure vvhich should be Tead in the light of the attached drawings.

In the dfaWingS= Figufe 1 is a b ro1(en away view in pefspective of Iny device vVith a nTode1 efecfed thefeon.

Figufe Z is an enlarged bfoken away view of one cofnef of IIly baSe n1en1bef.

Figufe 3 iS an enlafged bToken avvay Side elevational view to inustfate a Wa11 Inembef fitted fo the baSe membef.

Figufe 4 iS a pefSpective view shovving a coInp1eted n1odel Inonnted on the top cover.

Figufe 5 iS a broken away side elevationa1 pefspective view illustfating the top covef fitted on the n1ode1 building.

Fig11fe 6 is an enlafged perSpecfive view of an a1tef ITative embodiment of nTy device.

Figure 7 iS a top plan vievv of the en1bodiInent i11l1S- ffated in Figure 6.

Figufe 8 is a bfoken aWay Side elevationa1 view of 2 the alfefnative enibodiment illuStfated in FigtlfeS 6 and 7.

1 Iy device consiStS of the base nleInbe1 1 Which, in the pfefeffed eInbodiInent i1lllstfated, is fectangulaf in Shape and haS fofmed on itS uppef Sufface the 1ongi tudinal dadoeS of S1ofS 2l vvhich `afo infefSected by the tfanSvefSe dadoes of SlotS 3. The 1ongitudinal and tfanSvefSe dadoes of slotS Z and 3 afe eqllal1y spaced thfoughout fhe top Surface of the baSe Inen1bef 1 to pfovide the eq11al Squafe poftions 4 of the San1e vvidth aS the dadoeS Z and 3.

A Inode1 of the deSired building iS constructed 1)y uSing the vva11 sections 5 and paTtition SectionS 6. The Wan and paftition SectionS 5 and o are erected on fhe board membef 1 by fitting the lowor edgeS of the Won and paIfition Sections in the longitudinal of transverse dadoeS as fequired, fo efect a coInpleted StrnctUfe aS Seen in FiguTe 1 in the dfavvingS. efefence to Figuro 3 in the dfaWingS Win diScloSe cleafly how the lowEIf edge of the waH Section 5 iS fitted in the trallSvefSe dado 3 of the board nlefnber 1.

The stfuctufe aS i1111stfated in Figufe 1 gives an ac c]J fate fepfeSentation of a flniShed building bnt ft viH be a1pTeciated that it fS in1posSible to tfanSpoft a 1arge baSeboaId to diffefent 1ocationS To a11ovv the TeInova1 of the aSSeInbled Inodel fToIn the baSeboafd 1, 1 have provided the top covef 7 Which vVi11 be Seen fitted over the aSSembled model in Figufe 5 in the dfawingS. The top covef 7 iS faStened Secufely to the top edgeS of the wan and paftition fnembefS 5 and 5 with a Suitable d heSive and it Wi11 be appafent iIT1ITlediately that yvitf1 the coZef 7 Xed SeCUTely, it iS poSSible to lift the aS sen1bled fnode1 aWay ffon1 the boafd 1 and, on Tevel'Sing the covef 7, one Wi11 have a ooInpleted model xed to the cover 7 as illustfated in Figufe 4 fn the dFavvings. XVhile it has not been i1lustfated in the draWingS it WiH be undofStood that it iS neceSSary to efect the n1ode1 ShoWn in Figure 1 in the feveTSe foTm to that deSifed if the model aS Shown flxed to the covef 7 is to be an accurate fepfeSentatioo of fhe niShed stfuctufe. 1n practice I have found it adviSab1e to efect the mode1 in the coffecf foTIT1 initia1ly on the baSeboard 1 and to adiuSt the vafiouS paftitions and wallS aS desifed unfil a Inode1 iS conStfucted. A Sheet of ffanSpafent papef is then laid ove1 the top edges of the vvall and paftitio11 TneInbefS 5 and o and the cofnpleted o11tline of the Tnode1 is tfaced on the tranSparent papeT. The tranSpafent paper Inay the11 be fevefSed and it beConeS a siInp]e Inatter to erect the model in fevefSe form on the baSeboad 1 pfiof to gluing the top covef 7 thefeon and femoving the finiShed mode1 ffom the baSeboard- The method deScribed hefefofofe Win be foUnd Sat isfactofy for fnaking Tnodel of a recfangulaf Shape but if a n1odel of po1ygona1 Shape iS deSifed, it is neceSSary fo suopoft the WanS of partition membefS When the lovver edgeS of such n1eInbeTs a'fe not fifted in eithef the 1ongitudina1 of tfansvefSe dadoeS, This consffuction is achieved by Seating the wan n1en1befs on the squafe poT tions 4 and suppofting the wall and partition n1eInbefs by the use of Sman holding pieces which are fitted in the longitudina1 of tranSvefSe dadoes Z and 3. ThiS con- Struction iS i11llStrated cleafly in Figufe 6 in the d favZ- ingS With the vvaH numbofs 8, 9, 10 and 11 Testing on the Squafe poftions 4 and SUppofted by the holding pieceS 12.

vVhat I claiIn aS nly invention iS:

1. MeanS for designing and laying ont planS of buildingS compfising a base membef having a )1ufa1ity of intefSecting tTansverSe and longitudina1 dadoeS S aced fo provide a plurality of equa1 square poftionS of the SaIne Width as the dadoes, a p111fality of Wa11 and paffition pieces affanged to be placed on the said squafes at an angle With respect to the tTansveTSe and longitUdina1 dadoeS and a pluTality of holding pieceS arranged to seat in the dadoeS and to bear against the angulafly dispoSed wall and paTtition pieces to pTevent hoTizontal displacement of the wan and partition pieces.

2. In a device fo1 deSigning and laying out planS of buildingS a baSe membeT haVing a pluTalfty of interSect ing tranSveTSe and longitudinal dadoes SpaCed t() Provide a pluTality of equal squae portionS of the Same Width aS the dadoes, a pll1Tality of wall and paftiti()n pieces a1 Tanged to t iI1 the dadoes betWeen the SqUafes Tepre- Sent the vvaHS and partitions of a bunding, a Substantially at cover IIleInbe1 and meanS foT secllTing the cover Inen1ber to the top of ,tIle aSSeInbled wall and partition pieceS wheTeby the wall and paTtition pieceS may be re 111oved ffon1 the Said baSe I11enber and TevefSed t() pro vide a TepTesentation of a building upStanding fTon1 the cover IIleInbe1'.

3. The method of producing modelS of waHS and par titio1 planS for buildings Which coITlpfiSes, assen1bling vvan and partition pieceS by their botfon1 edges to create a TeverSed n1odel in the dadoeS in a baSe board having a plurality of intersecting tTansverSe and longitudinal da does Spaced to provide a purality of equal poTtions of the Same width aS the dadoeS, Xing a SUbStantiany at cove1 n1en1bef to the tOpS of the said vvaH and partition IneInbefS, TeInoving the aSSen]bled waH and partition InemberS fiXed to the c()ver Inember ollt of the dadoes and feversing the cove1 IneInber With the vval1 and paTtition nleInbers Xed thereto to provide the deSiTed inodel UpStanding fTon1 the cover.

efeenoes (:ifed in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Z oZ3,300 Barnett Dec. 3, 1935 Z,Z04,319 ParsonS et al Iune 11, 1940 Z 61o 413 DaSey Sept. 16, 19SZ FoREIGN PATENTS S24.064 FTance 1/Iay 6, 1921 

